What to do in Caños de Meca
WHAT TO DO IN CAÑOS DE MECA
La Torre de Trafalgar
El Faro de Trafalgar
Ermita de San Ambrosio
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Los Caños de Meca is History
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Yes, the entire Cadizian coastline was visited by various civilisations and all left their mark, Los Caños de Meca was no exception, its name is due to the fresh water curtains, whose water was very popular during the Muslim domination, so much so that they “baptised” it with the name of their holy city: Mecca.
Los Caños de Meca is history.
But other peoples had already passed through here before, Tartessians and Turdetans, (the most advanced of the Iberian peoples) populated this place, Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, among others, visited its coastline.
From Roman times it is said that today, submerged under the waters, some divers claim to have seen the temple of the goddess Juno, they also established a factory for salting fish and making garum, a sauce highly appreciated among the elites of Rome, and of which there are still remains on the beach of Mari Sucia. Barbate is related to the disappeared Baesippo, one of the fortified cities located on the road between Gades and Malacca.
Barbate
Barbate.
From the Visigothic period, we have the San Ambrosio Hermitage (7th century), declared a site of cultural interest for its particular construction and for being one of the few remaining early Christian basilicas.
Next to the Trafalgar lighthouse we can see the Torre de Trafalgar (9th century), built by the Arabs and used by Felipe II along with others along the Andalusian coastline to protect the coast from Berber attacks.
Torre de Trafalgar (9th century)
But, without a doubt, the star of the place is the imposing Trafalgar Lighthouse, witness to one of the most famous naval battles: In 1805 the British squadron of Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated the Franco-Spanish squadron of Vice-Admiral Pierre Villeneuve, which meant practically the end of the Napoleonic armada and the beginning of an era of British domination of the seas that would contribute to the development of its empire as the leading power until the First World War. Around 5,000 dead soldiers and numerous wrecks still bear witness to the battle as they remain at the bottom of the sea.
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Atún Rojo
Cazón en Amarillo
Fideos con Caballa
Los Caños de Meca is gastronomy
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It is one of the most important fishing ports in Andalusia, proof of this are the canning companies that work in the town and the magnitude of its port. This leads to the freshness and quality of all the delicacies that can be found in the restaurants, bars and beach bars in the area.
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The tuna is undoubtedly the king of the gastronomy of the area, the pig of the sea, because everything is made from it, a product of extraordinary quality, it can be presented in different ways: onions, larded, in cubes… it is difficult to taste tuna of such quality at a reasonable price, as you can still do in Barbate. Visit La Peña del Atún (Calle Ancha, 35) is a must for the visitor, come in and let yourself be carried away…
The cazón is ideal for stewing or frying, marinated or yellow with fried onion, tomato, fish stock, bay leaf and saffron, a real delicacy.
The people of Barbados are specialists in salting bacalao, cooked in water and crumbled, with poached onion, garlic and paprika, as a garnish we add potatoes soaked in white wine, all well cooked over a low heat… try it and repeat!
Barbateños bacalao.
Humble caballas shredded and cooked with onion and salt, mixed with fat noodles and with a sauce of garlic, pepper, onion, tomato, paprika and bay leaf, a real delicacy for sailors, typical of Barbate.
But if you really want to be surprised try the ortiguillas, floured and fried in very hot oil for only 3 minutes, this is the real delicatessen of the area.
Convinced? Then you should know that, as well as good fish, you can also find exquisite meat. The whole region of La Janda is abundant in dehesas, the local livestock industry is not only dedicated to the breeding of the fighting bull, but also of the vaca retinta, whose meat is highly prized, or the cabra payoya, from which an exceptional quality cheese is made.
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El Tómbolo de Trafalgar
Vegetación en las Dunas
Acantilados de Barbate
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Los Caños is living nature
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The Villa for rent Alma Caños de Meca is surrounded by a privileged natural environment.
Los Caños de Meca is surrounded by a privileged natural environment.
It has a beautiful landscape: a mixture of fine sand dunes, long beaches, historic buildings such as the lighthouse or the Trafalgar Tower.
The Villa for rent Alma Caños de Meca is surrounded by a privileged natural environment.
Initially both towers were built on a stone islet, but the winds and tides dragged enough sand to join the islet to the coast forming a sandy tongue or tombolo, which today is a protected natural monument.
The tombolo also left a floodable depression in which numerous reeds grow and are frequented by gulls, bastard sandpipers, black terns, red-billed godwits, tailed godwits and little egrets.
The upper part of the cliffs is occupied by the Breña Natural Park, an extensive pine forest, the largest in the province, through which different trails run, different proposals to get to know this place, either on foot or on horseback, which will make us spend a great day immersed in nature.
The Spa of Los Caños de Meca
Los Caños de Meca is a natural spa
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In the height of summer, skin and hair are the parts of our body that suffer most from the relentless sun. Lodos de los Caños is a natural and free treatment that your body will be very grateful for, pure natural cosmetics, with which you will obtain multiple benefits.
Since time immemorial these muds have been used as a beauty treatment, due to the therapeutic properties of the salts and minerals that compose it, these muds are an excellent remedy to improve the condition of our skin in particular, and our body in general because the salt neutralizes the negative ions of our body, leaving us in a wellness state that is very pleasant.
This clay has a large number of basic properties for the health of our skin, in addition to improving its appearance simply by applying it, we can achieve other benefits:
- Natural exfoliator: Eliminating dead cells and other impurities that clog pores
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- Detoxifying: The mud helps to eliminate toxins while neutralising the PH of the skin, so its purifying effect is amazing.
- Detoxifying: The mud helps to eliminate toxins while neutralising the PH of the skin, so its purifying effect is amazing.
- Moisturises, remineralises and purifies the skin: The zinc, magnesium, potassium, sodium, iron and calcium that make up these clayey muds help to purify our skin by eliminating accumulated toxins, stabilises and neutralises the pH of our skin and remineralises our epidermis, it is an unbeatable body tonic.
- It heals and regenerates: Stimulates the recovery of the skin after overexposure to the sun and promotes wound healing.
- Relaxing properties: The sodium in these muds manages to eliminate negative ions from our body, applying it in the form of massage, we get a better absorption of minerals by our skin, becoming an infallible remedy against physical and mental stress.
- Soothing and anti-inflammatory: The mineral composition of this mud makes it an excellent anti-inflammatory, its relaxing properties help to soothe joint pain and improve circulation and rheumatism.
On the walls of the nudist beach of Meca, you can collect the natural clay, it is very simple, you just have to scratch a little clay with your fingertips and dip it in the water of the beach, after kneading it until it is a doughy and creamy mass, is when you can pour it all over your body, hair included until your body is completely smeared, then relax…
Once we have sunbathed for 30 to 45 minutes, the mud that covers our body has dried and has left us looking like a “Masai, then we must get rid of it, for this we dive into the sea and alone or in pairs we rub and caress the whole body until we remove all the mud from our body.
Once clean, we only have to get out of the sea, completely clean, to realise why these muds have become an attraction in the place and why, over the years, the custom of visiting this place and smearing ourselves with its mud has been maintained. The experience is unique and the level of relaxation that is achieved is… incredible!
Excellent natural and free beauty treatment!
The Small Markets of the Spouts
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Los Caños de Meca son Mercadillos de Artesanía
- Mercado Caños de Meca, en la avenida de Trafalgar, frente a la calle Vendaval y cervecería Al Sur.
- Mercado Namasté, en la avenida de Trafalgar, frente a La Jaima
- Asociación Arte-Sano, en Carretera del Faro de Trafalgar, a la altura del chiringuito Las Dunas
Sunsets in Los Caños de Meca
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Los Caños de Meca has a sunset that is quite a spectacle:
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As the hour approaches, the spectators take their places, suddenly you realise that everyone is looking west, there on the horizon, the sun is about to set, suddenly there is only silence and the magical event occurs: the sun slowly begins to sink.
Sunset is a magical event: The sun slowly begins to sink.
The sky is filled with colours and shades, the sun gradually fades its brightness and brilliance, and we dare to look at it directly, silence, without haste but without pause, almost imperceptibly, it goes down, nobody moves, everyone is amazed and hypnotised by such a spectacle, fixed gazes and some open mouths, it is inevitable, the show, not foreseeable, ceases to be incredible, does not disappoint…. When the sun goes out you hear some sighs, some “wow”, sometimes applause … then smiles of satisfaction and … to collect everything quickly before the darkness floods everything and return to a safe place becomes an adventure, no doubt it has been worth…. Tomorrow again! The best areas to watch the sunset in Los Caños de Meca The best areas to watch the sunset in Los Caños de Meca
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